Author: Jeremiah Fajardo

Building something from the ground up is a daunting task. Whether it’s a new business start-up or a book manuscript, the process is a labor of love. You put everything you have into it, often sacrificing things along the way to make your dream a reality. Ultimately, it’s an immense personal risk that may leave you questioning yourself frequently. Is this worth it? Am I making the right choices? Will it succeed? Naturally, the best response to all of these should be an emphatic “Yes!” or “Of course!” Yet, at times, some inkling of doubt remains. It’s a lingering feeling that must be overcome to see your risks turned into rewards. This autumn, Asia Media International (AMI) will be celebrating its fourth anniversary. Having been there from the start, I’ve seen the site grow dramatically over this period of time. With each issue, there was continuing improvement of the writing, editing and vision. Staff may have come and gone, but the heart of AMI’s mission still remains. We continually push new members to improve the three core skills of writing, research, and editing, all while learning about the merging countries of the world. Each student who has been a part of the staff has undeniably left having gained valuable experience in one, if not all, of these areas. The coming semester, we will continue the trend of growth for...

JEREMIAH FAJARDO WRITES – From potato salad to Oscar nominated films, the popular crowd-funding site Kickstarter has been at the forefront of rethinking project funding. Surprisingly, some of the most successful campaigns have come from Japan’s risk-averse entertainment industry. The time for change has come and it’s in the hands of the fans. Before Kickstarter, financing a project, whether it was a new video game or an anime series, was a matter of finding the right sponsor or publisher for support. This often meant giving the backer some level of creative input, sometimes hindering the development process. The advent of...

Join the Asia Society Southern California for an exciting evening to celebrate the U.S.-China Film Relationship. As in the past, the Gala Dinner will feature high-profile honorees and guests from China and the U.S. This year’s full-day conference will draw on the Film Summit’s roots in U.S.-China co-production. We will also branch out from co-production during our panels to address other dynamics, including: Hollywood’s pursuit of Chinese screenwriters and directors New players in cross-border film finance and production New trends in U.S.-Chinese television co-production and show development The surge in media convergence and digital distribution in...

JEREMIAH FAJARDO WRITES – Despite lengthy lines and oppressive heat, L.A.’s annual Anime Expo broke its previous attendance records, embodying the growth and impact of Japan’s pop-culture diplomacy. Each Independence Day weekend thousands of passionate fans descend upon Southern California for North America’s largest convention for all things related to Japanese pop-culture. This year, for the first time in its 22-year history, Anime Expo sold out, capping the Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) at an estimated 80,000 attendees. What began as a small fan gathering started by a UC Berkley’s anime club is growing into an event comparable to...

JEREMIAH FAJARDO WRITES – While some countries snort derisively at Vladimir Putin’s annexation of Crimea, in Japan it’s been love at first sight with the Republic’s new attorney general. In the immediate aftermath of the Russian land grab, a press conference featuring 34-year-old Natalia Poklonskaya went viral — and it wasn’t because of her legal genius. Radio station Voice of Russia reported the matters discussed were in fact quite serious. “I tell the truth and I’m not afraid of this truth,” the young attorney reportedly said. “Let them bring legal cases against me.” But viewers in Japan, lacking translations,...

Our Mission

A continuously appearing, student-driven publication of Loyola Marymount University's Asia Media International Center, which is a part of LMU's Department of Asian and Asian American Studies (AAAS), the new AMI retains the former ASIA MEDIA’s scholarly aim while incorporating a contemporary outlook and format. The integration of innovative concepts to the new website serves to re-emphasize its mission: the examination of Asian countries by undergraduate students. This is Asia’s century. As the world’s center of political gravity is inevitably shifting to the East, this site seeks to place its spotlight on Asia as a method of focusing on trends within its society and politics. The mission of the new ASIA MEDIA also aims to help deepen LMU’s overall institutional understanding of – and relationship with – Asia.